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Looking for C++ Mentor!

Hi CodeGuru users!

I'm new to C++, well, everything code, I guess. But I've always wanted to make games, ever since I was little. I used to make storyboards for all my future games, I think I might still have 1 or 2 of them. Anyways, I started out with C++ because I wanted to make a game like Age of Empires or something along the lines of an economic strategy game. Once I started code I realized that was harder than it sounds. I'm currently working my way through the book "C++ Programming for the Absolute Beginner" by Dirk Henkemans and Mark Lee. I got to Chapter 9 in the book and then realized I must have missed something because nothing made sense. I tracked my mistake back to Chapter 5, Fighting With OOP. I'm using Dev-C++ and the authors are using CodeWarrior. I'm afraid I've made a mistake or the compiler in Dev-C++ can't compile correctly the code they've written. In conclusion, I NEED HELP! I'm looking for someone with more experience and knowledge than me that has Dev-C++, and has enough time to guide me down the process of becoming a programmer.

Re: Looking for C++ Mentor!

I'd suggest not using Dev-C++ either...it's old and no longer maintained. There are better choices for someone just starting out.

The first thing you should be asking yourself is----do you want to learn C++, or do you want to play with graphics? Because while there is some overlap, there's an incorrect assumption among many beginners that programming means playing with graphics. It can, eventually; but that isn't where you'll start out, and it isn't an inevitable result of mastering the basics, either. It's simply one of many advanced directions you can take, and there may be other languages which get you there sooner if the graphics are what you're really interested in.

Re: Looking for C++ Mentor!

Code::Blocks is a much better IDE than Dev-C++. I would recommend migrating to that. The IDE is not important when it comes to what compiles, it's the compiler itself. find out what compiler the author of your tutorials is using. GNU, Borland, Microsoft, Intel, they all differ slightly.

Re: Looking for C++ Mentor!

I'm actually interested in both programming and graphics. Do you mean graphics by graphic design or graphics as in 3d, models and buildings? Idk about 3d, but 2d is where I'd like to go. I'd like to program the game and design the graphics. I'll look into code::blocks but would either of you like to guide me through C++? I'm really interested in learning C++ not C#, or Java. What I really need help with is Object Oriented Programming (classes, constructors, destructors, etc.), and different files being incorporated with eachother using #include " ".

Re: Looking for C++ Mentor!

I'm currently working my way through the book "C++ Programming for the Absolute Beginners"

Keep doing that and maybe try another book too. What may be a hard to understand in one book may be better explained in another.

Try out the examples, and if you come across something that really has you stumped, post a complete example of the problem, explaining what compiler error/coding algorithm that you are having trouble with. You will find plenty of people here that will be happy to help you out.

Re: Looking for C++ Mentor!

Originally Posted by CppMatrix

I've always wanted to make games, ever since I was little. I used to make storyboards for all my future games, I think I might still have 1 or 2 of them.

Not everyone with an inventive mind is cut out to be a programer. And not every programmer is cut out to invent new games. The opposite of your situation is quite common actually - now that I know everything there is to know about C++ I can't think of a single program to write, please help.

So my suggestion is that you stop struggling to become a programmer. Instead take your game ideas to a programmer and suggest you do something together. Eventually you may even pick up a little programming.

As a matter of fact in my view programmers as a group are quite unimaginative. I think it has something to do with the nature of programming. It very much relies on following instructions, the very opposite of creative thinking.

So if you have good ideas for games don't waste your time learning how to program. There are so many programmer Joes who would jump on the opportunity of someone telling them what to do with their programming skills.

Re: Looking for C++ Mentor!

I would not start with C++ if you want to make a game, there are a lot of lower things you have to muck about with before you can even get to the game logic. To be honest I really would suggest you start with C#+XNA. Now most people will tell you to go from c to c++ to c# but that has you start with the least beginner friendly language and have you progress to the most. C# teaches very good Object Oriented principles and Visual Studio has intellisense so that you can start to guess the name of a function you want and have intellisense tell you what is close. XNA is actually a whole frame work for writing games that will run on both PC and the XBox 360 with very intuitive built in classes for rendering graphics in 2D or 3D.

What you will need to get started:
o Visual Studio
There is a free version called Visual Studio Express - but it doesn't have as many of the built in libraries as the Full Version, it can get you started though and maybe you can *buy* Visual Studio eventually (it is rather expensive though).
o XNA Game Studio
This is a free add on to any version of Visual Studio

There is a project template named "Platformer Starter Kit" that can get you started really quickly with a simple Platformer similar to the old Marios. You have to download this from Microsofts website.

If you are in College or large metro high school you may even be able to get the full version of Visual Studio using an MSDNAA account.

If you want to learn more about XNA and C# PM me and I can talk to you online through some chat protocol (aim,yahoo,msn,irc - whatever) and I can give you better advice.

Oh and for purest in here:
I'm not saying that writing a game using C# and XNA is the best way, in fact all the professional game developers I know still work primarily in C and C++. However, if he is completely new to the whole concept of programming the best way to start learning the core concepts is through a beginner friendly language and IDE. Visual Studio and C# is probably the most beginner friendly environment I know and has a ton of easily accessible tutorials and documentation.

Re: Looking for C++ Mentor!

Yes, it's true what posters above have said already. I want to add that by coding in C++ a beginner may pretty quickly get discouraged by assuming that they will be immediately creating some miniature game with a lot of flashy graphics, when indeed all they are instructed to make is a simple Hello World! console app with white monotone text on a black background.

If programming games is your ultimate goal, first you should set a time limit which it would take you to get to that level. You have to also understand that first you need to learn the basics and only then plunge into coding anything remotely resembling a game. Just FYI, the game you quoted, the Age of Empires, was indeed programmed using C++, but what you fail to realize is how many man-hours and effort went into building the base for programming that game. Making a game in C++ is what I would call a pinnacle in mastering that language, so you have a long way to go.

One last thing I want to say, and here I'm sharing my experience, what helped me understand all the dynamics of creating games is mastering simple 2D games, or just the interactive content in that sense. Doing all that with C++ would require quite a few of the third-party (or extension) libraries, so I went with the environment that didn't have such a requirement but had a good graphics support. I chose to learn it all with the use of the Adobe Flash. I know that it's a separate subject and the ActionScript language that is used in Flash, although looks similar, is altogether different than C++, but it really gave me the basics of the game design/programming and also gave me an easy access to manipulating graphics "on the fly" and didn't concentrate me mostly on the language itself (constructors, destructors, types, pointers, etc.) like C does. So here's one more thing for your to consider.

Re: Looking for C++ Mentor!

rightly put!
i guess you should read an article about Object Oriented Programming first, and then dive into one particular language
i would suggest read through this:alimsyed.com

Originally Posted by dc_2000

Yes, it's true what posters above have said already. I want to add that by coding in C++ a beginner may pretty quickly get discouraged by assuming that they will be immediately creating some miniature game with a lot of flashy graphics, when indeed all they are instructed to make is a simple Hello World! console app with white monotone text on a black background.

If programming games is your ultimate goal, first you should set a time limit which it would take you to get to that level. You have to also understand that first you need to learn the basics and only then plunge into coding anything remotely resembling a game. Just FYI, the game you quoted, the Age of Empires, was indeed programmed using C++, but what you fail to realize is how many man-hours and effort went into building the base for programming that game. Making a game in C++ is what I would call a pinnacle in mastering that language, so you have a long way to go.

One last thing I want to say, and here I'm sharing my experience, what helped me understand all the dynamics of creating games is mastering simple 2D games, or just the interactive content in that sense. Doing all that with C++ would require quite a few of the third-party (or extension) libraries, so I went with the environment that didn't have such a requirement but had a good graphics support. I chose to learn it all with the use of the Adobe Flash. I know that it's a separate subject and the ActionScript language that is used in Flash, although looks similar, is altogether different than C++, but it really gave me the basics of the game design/programming and also gave me an easy access to manipulating graphics "on the fly" and didn't concentrate me mostly on the language itself (constructors, destructors, types, pointers, etc.) like C does. So here's one more thing for your to consider.

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